The American Academy of Sleep Medicine is teaming with PBS NewsHour on Thursday to educate patients about sleep and its link to depression. In February, two studies published in the journal SLEEP looked at how poor sleep increases your risk of depression. Two AASM physicians, Dr. Timothy I. Morgenthaler and Dr. Nathaniel Watson will be on hand to answer your questions.

A recent study takes a look at the link between comorbid, or multiple mood and anxiety disorders occurring at the same time and insomnia. The study involved 517 people with comorbid mood and anxiety disorders. Other groups included people with no mood or anxiety disorders, mood disorders only and anxiety disorders only.

Results show that about 60 percent of individuals with comorbid mood and anxiety disorders had at least one symptom of insomnia. About 45 percent of individuals with mood disorders only or anxiety disorders only reported insomnia.
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Snorting, gasping or stopping breathing while asleep has been associated with nearly all depression symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveyed 9,714 Americans for a new study appearing in the April issue of SLEEP. The CDC determined that the likelihood of depression increased with the frequency of sleep-disordered breathing.
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Mental health problems and getting less than six hours of sleep play key roles in the persistence of insomnia. A study in the January edition of SLEEP found these risk factors in people experiencing insomnia for at least 7½ years.
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A new study examined the rate of obstructive sleep apnea in people with major depressive disorder and insomnia. The study involved 51 people with both depression and insomnia; they were evaluated by an overnight sleep study.
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Living with a sleep disorder can be a battle of the body and the mind. It is easy to become frustrated when you have trouble sleeping at night or staying awake during the day. For many people with obstructive sleep apnea, this frustration can turn into despair. Research shows that the risk of depression is high in people with sleep apnea.
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